The Darling Family

Last updated
The Darling Family
Directed by Alan Zweig
Written by Linda Griffiths
Based onThe Darling Family
by Linda Griffiths
Produced by
  • Hadley Obodiac
  • Alan Zweig
Starring
CinematographyGerald Packer
Edited by Michael Pacek
Music by Mychael Danna
Production
company
Distributed byCineplex Odeon Films
Release date
  • August 26, 1994 (1994-08-26)
Running time
86 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish

The Darling Family is a 1994 Canadian drama film directed by Alan Zweig and written by Linda Griffiths. [1] Based on Griffiths' 1991 play of the same name, the film stars Griffiths and Alan Williams as a couple discussing the state of their relationship after the woman unexpectedly becomes pregnant, [2] blending both scenes in which they talk to each other with scenes in which they verbalize their interior monologues. [3]

Contents

Critical response

Geoff Pevere of The Globe and Mail reviewed the film favourably, rating it three stars and writing that "Although made on a minuscule budget and largely restricted to the unventilated spectacle of two people cautiously circling each other in closed spaces, The Darling Family never fails to resonate beyond its dramatic confines. Griffiths' script, which is every bit as critical of She as it is of He, captures precisely the paralyzing self-consciousness of contemporary gender relations, and does so with an economy that can shift from the comic to the tragic in the flick of a phrase: 'Oh no,' He panics at one point, 'she's happy.'" [1]

Writing for Maclean's , Brian D. Johnson was more critical, asserting that "as an excursion into relationship hell, the film has an emotional veracity and psychological insight. But the spartan, deadlocked drama demands a lot of patience from the viewer. It is like one of those exhausting late-night discussions in bed that are destined to go nowhere." [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melanie Griffith</span> American actress (born 1957)

Melanie Richards Griffith is an American actress. Born in Manhattan to future actress Tippi Hedren, she was raised mainly in Los Angeles, where she graduated from the Hollywood Professional School at age 16. In 1975, 17-year-old Griffith appeared opposite Gene Hackman in Arthur Penn's neo-noir film Night Moves. She later rose to prominence as an actor in films such as Brian De Palma's Body Double (1984), which earned her a National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress. Griffith's subsequent performance in the comedy Something Wild (1986) attracted critical acclaim before she was cast in 1988's Working Girl, which earned her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress and won her a Golden Globe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rachel Griffiths</span> Australian actress (b. 1968)

Rachel Anne Griffiths is an Australian actress. Raised primarily in Melbourne, she began her acting career appearing on the Australian series Secrets before being cast in a supporting role in the comedy Muriel's Wedding (1994), which earned her an AACTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. In 1997, she was the lead in Nadia Tass's drama Amy. She had a role opposite Julia Roberts in the American romantic comedy My Best Friend's Wedding (1997), followed by her portrayal of Hilary du Pré in Hilary and Jackie (1998), for which she received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geoff Pevere</span> Canadian film critic and radio broadcaster (born 1957)

Geoff Pevere is a Canadian lecturer, author, broadcaster, teacher, arts and media critic, currently the program director of the Rendezvous With Madness Film Festival in Toronto. He is a former film critic, book columnist and cultural journalist for the Toronto Star, where he worked from 1998 to 2011. His writing has appeared in several newspapers, magazines and arts journals, and he has worked as a broadcaster for both radio and television. He has lectured widely on cultural and media topics, and taught courses at several Canadian universities and colleges. In 2012, he contributed weekly pop culture columns to CBC Radio Syndication, which were heard in nearly twenty markets across Canada. He has also been a movie columnist and regular freelance contributor with The Globe and Mail.

<i>Kissed</i> 1996 Canadian film

Kissed is a 1996 Canadian romantic/erotic drama film directed and co-written by Lynne Stopkewich, based on Barbara Gowdy's short story "We So Seldom Look on Love". It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 7, 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donald Shebib</span> Canadian film director (1938–2023)

Donald Everett Shebib was a Canadian film and television director. Shebib was a central figure in the development of English Canadian cinema who made several short documentaries for the National Film Board of Canada and CBC Television in the 1960s before turning to feature films, beginning with the influential Goin' Down the Road (1970) and what many call his masterpiece, Between Friends (1973). He soon became frustrated by the bureaucratic process of film funding in Canada and chronic problems with distribution as well as a string of box office disappointments. After Heartaches (1981), he made fewer films for theatrical release and worked more in television.

<i>Winter Kept Us Warm</i> 1965 Canadian film

Winter Kept Us Warm is a Canadian romantic drama film, released in 1965. The title comes from the fifth line of T.S. Eliot's The Waste Land.

<i>Away from Her</i> 2006 Canadian film

Away from Her is a 2006 Canadian independent drama film written and directed by Sarah Polley and starring Julie Christie and Gordon Pinsent. Olympia Dukakis, Michael Murphy, Wendy Crewson, Alberta Watson, and Kristen Thomson are featured in supporting roles. The feature film directorial debut of Polley, it is based on Alice Munro's short story "The Bear Came Over the Mountain", from the 2001 collection Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage.

Linda Pauline Griffiths was a Canadian actress and playwright best known for writing and starring in the one woman play Maggie and Pierre, in which she portrayed both Pierre Trudeau and his then-estranged wife, Margaret. Among her cinematic work, she is best known for her acclaimed, starring role in Lianna.

Alan Zweig is a Canadian documentary filmmaker known for often using film to explore his own life.

Brian D. Johnson is a Canadian journalist and filmmaker, best known as an entertainment reporter and film critic for Maclean's.

The Only Thing You Know is a 1971 Canadian drama film, directed by Clarke Mackey.

Alan Williams is a British actor and playwright, who has performed in film, television and theatre in both the United Kingdom and Canada.

Arrowhead is a 1994 Canadian mockumentary short film, directed by Peter Lynch.

Odilon Redon, or The Eye Like a Strange Balloon Mounts Toward Infinity is a Canadian short drama film, directed by Guy Maddin and released in 1995. The film stars Jim Keller and Caelum Vatnsdal as Keller and Caelum, a father and son who compete for the affections of Berenice, a woman they have rescued from a train crash.

Looking for Leonard is a Canadian crime comedy-drama film, directed by Matt Bissonnette and Steven Clark and released in 2002.

<i>Nadia, Butterfly</i> 2020 Canadian drama film

Nadia, Butterfly is a 2020 Canadian sports drama film, directed by Pascal Plante and released in 2020.

Wasaga is a 1994 Canadian drama film, directed by Judith Doyle. The film stars Louise Lilliefeldt as Rebecca, a video artist from Toronto who is working on a project in Wasaga Beach; she takes driving lessons from driving instructor Judy because of the town's much more car-oriented lifestyle, only to find Judy becoming a love interest.

Men with Guns is a 1997 Canadian crime drama film, directed by Kari Skogland. The film stars Donal Logue and Gregory Sporleder as Goldman and Lucas, two smalltime hustlers who run afoul of local mob boss Horace Burke when they discover and steal a stash of cocaine.

The Technical Writer is a 2003 drama film directed by Scott Saunders, who co-wrote screenplay with lead actor Michael Harris. It also stars Tatum O'Neal and William Forsythe.

<i>Old Stock</i> (film) 2012 Canadian film

Old Stock is a 2012 Canadian romantic comedy-drama film, directed by James Genn.

References

  1. 1 2 Geoff Pevere, "Dangerous liaisons". The Globe and Mail , August 27, 1994.
  2. 1 2 Brian D. Johnson, "Man versus woman: The Darling Family directed by Alan Zweig". Maclean's , September 5, 1994.
  3. Craig MacInnis, "A Darling idea looking for a movie". Toronto Star , August 26, 1994.